Experts Suggest Ways To Get Free Stuff Where You’re Least Expecting It

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — The notion of free stuff can be very appealing, and getting your hands on it could be much simpler than you thought.

As CBS2’s Vanessa Murdock reported, many consumers confess that they sign up for Amazon Prime because it offers two-day shipping for free. But Prime offers so much more, according to marketing professor Dr. Audrey Guskey, of Duquesne University.

“In reality, they have so many other perks that they give you — free music, free movies, free books — all kinds of things you can take advantage of and you should take advantage of,” Guskey said.

AAA offers free perks that might surprise you – and they are not specifically travel-related.

“A lot of times, you don’t think of it as going to a restaurant in the area or going to a store and actually getting 15, 20 percent off, so It’s a very nice perk,” Guskey said.

And your wireless provider might woo you with another contract if you seek out their freebies in hiding.

“It seemed like every one of them had some additional services,” said Point Park University business professor Elaine Luther.

Luther said Verizon users can stream the NFL Network playoff and Super Bowl for free, while Sprint customers can access NBA Plus. With AT&T, wi-fi is available for free at certain hotspots, and T-Mobile wants you to groove to the music – you can stream tunes without using data.

Have minutes to spare? Filling out surveys could score you free stuff too.

“For example, Costco. You think of them as being a discount store, but if you fill out their surveys and answer their questions in a couple minutes, they’ll give you a gift certificate,” Guskey said. “A lot of times, you don’t have to buy anything.”

With so much free stuff out there, what is the best way to get your hands on them?

“Sometimes, it doesn’t hurt just to ask,” Luther said.

“You really need to do your homework and recognize that there may be other opportunities for you to take advantage of,” Guskey added.